Keep It Closed Campaign Successfully Thwarts Carhart’s Late-term Abortion Plans

Criminal investigation and lack of hospital access are proving to be insurmountable roadblocks to Carhart’s return to Kansas

Wichita, KS — Operation Rescue announces that its “Keep it Closed” campaign has successfully thwarted plans for Nebraska abortionist LeRoy Carhart to open a late-term abortion clinic within “25 miles” of Wichita by December 1.
Operation Rescue launched the campaign after Carhart threatened to open a late-term abortion clinic in Kansas or Nebraska to replace Women’s Health Care Services that was closed following the death of George Tiller.
“We are happy to announce that as of today, there are no late-term abortions being done in the state of Kansas,” said Operation Rescue President Troy Newman. “We worked diligently to prevent Carhart from returning his late-term abortion operation to Kansas, and so far, our efforts have been successful.”
Operation Rescue and three other pro-life groups, Rescue the Heartland, Nebraskans United for Life, and the Christian Defense Coalition, formally requested a criminal investigation of Carhart’s seedy Nebraska abortion business in July.
In August, immediately after Operation Rescue announced that the Nebraska Department of Health was launching an investigation of Carhart, he fired nearly half of his staff. It was later learned that the women fired were those most closely involved in alleged criminal acts at his clinic. Several former abortion workers came forward to blow the whistle on illegal activity they witnessed during their employment at Carhart’s Nebraska abortion clinic. Three of them provided sworn affidavits with their allegations to the groups, who turned the affidavits over to Attorney General Jon Bruning in September.
Operation Rescue has since received information that both the Attorney General and the Department of Health investigations are active.
In August, a petition launched by Operation Rescue was successful in obtaining a written promise from Wesley Medical Center not to grant hospital privileges or a transfer agreement to Carhart should he attempt to open a new abortion clinic in the Wichita Area.
“In addition to his mounting legal and financial problems, his lack of access to hospital privileges in Kansas may very well be keeping him from opening a late-term abortion mill here,” said Operation Rescue President Troy Newman. “We continue our vigilance and will work to block any future efforts – if any – by Carhart to resume his grisly late-term abortion business in Kansas.”